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இல்லறவியல் Kural 117
Kural 117

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keṭuvāka vaiyātu ulakam naṭuvāka / naṉṟikkaṇ taṅkiyāṉ tāḻvu

🎬 குறள் கதை · Story
G.U. Pope1886

“The man who justly lives, tenacious of the right, / In low estate is never low to wise man's sight.”

V.V.S. Aiyar1916

“The world looketh not down on the poverty of the upright and virtuous man.”

Modern readingAI draft

The wise never look down on the poverty of one who stood firm in fairness and goodness.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary

13th century · public domain

Parimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.

நடுவாக நன்றிக்கண் தங்கியான் தாழ்வு = நடுவாக நின்று அறத்தின்கண்ணே தங்கினவனது வறுமையை; கெடுவாக வையாது உலகு = வறுமை என்று கருதார் உயர்ந்தோர். (செல்வம் என்று கொள்ளுவர் என்பது குறிப்பெச்சம்.)

Source: Tamil Wikisource

In plain EnglishAI draft · pending review

The wise of the world do not count as 'ruin' the poverty of someone who stood firm in fairness and goodness; such want is no disgrace in their eyes — they reckon it wealth.

This verse is in tension

Resolves against Kural 1046
The upright man's poverty is no loss — and the poor man's words count for nothing
நேர்மையாளனின் வறுமை கேடு அல்ல; வறியவனின் சொல்லோ பயனற்றுப் போகிறது

Though they have understood sound doctrine well and spoken it well, the sense of poor men's words comes to nothing.

AI draft · pending scholar review